Archive for the ‘Sinn Féin’ Category

What happens, some wonder, when Enda Kenny is behind closed doors, with EU leaders, without his props? What happens at those meetings where the future of our children is decided?

Well, we know what happens. We’ve seen him treated in public, by Nicolas Sarkozy, as something of a fondly-regarded puppy. As Sarkozy tickled Enda’s neck in front of the cameras, and Enda giggled, is there anyone who didn’t flinch? No other national leader anywhere on the planet would dare be so casually and patronisingly handled — tickled with affection, a pleasingly responsive pet.

Across the EU, he — and we — are treated as the suppliant ones. And that is indeed the policy of this Government. Supplication — then, appeals for fairness, for a dig-out — if dat do be pleasing to ye, sir. In a ferocious world where other governments, bankers and financiers go to work in hobnailed boots, our leaders wear carpet slippers.

This is why we so studiously concern ourselves with trivia as billions are siphoned out of the country. It’s why the current referendum campaign has been conducted in bogus terms, about jobs and growth and where we’ll get the money for another bailout.

We’ve hit the iceberg, bankers load the lifeboats with billions of our euros — our leaders ask us to discuss the dessert menu.

Three economists have accused the Government of misleading people over the need for extra cuts and taxes in the event of a No vote in the fiscal treaty referendum.

Prof Terrence McDonough of NUI Galway insisted there would be “no disaster” in the event of the need for a second bailout. Prof McDonough argued recently in The Irish Times that the treaty made reform less, not more, likely.

“It is the adoption of the budget provisions of the treaty which is risky and dangerously experimental. Change is needed in Europe, but the fiscal treaty strategy is being adopted instead of these needed changes,” he said.

Prof McDonough was speaking at a press conference organised by the Campaign Against Austerity Treaty along with Dr Andy Storey of UCD and Michael Taft of the trade union Unite.

Dr Storey claimed that crucial aspects of Government policy would be taken away from the realm of democratic debate and into the hands of unelected technocrats and judges.

“A major reason for a No vote is to defend democracy…If the treaty is passed, the Government must introduce legislation concerning the ‘structural deficit’ and other aspects of austerity.”

He said if a future Government decided to repeal the legislation, it could be taken to court for altering economic policy.

Mr Taft accused the Government of “cynically raising expectations” of additional stimulus while planning to cut public investment by a third.

“The Government is misleading the public over the issue of how much extra austerity the fiscal treaty will impose on the economy,” he said.

According to the Campaign Against Austerity Treaty website, among the organisations that have signed up to the campaign include: the Communist Party; éirígí; the Peace and Neutrality Alliance; the Peoples Movement; Sinn Fein; the Socialist Party; the Socialist Workers Party; the Workers Party, and the United Left Alliance.

Cuts in services and extra taxes on ordinary people have brought nothing but unemployment and poverty – austerity has made the crisis worse.Now we face the EU Austerity Treaty, supposedly to stop governments spending more than they raise in tax.

But the deficit in Ireland is not due to public spending. It is due to the collapse of tax income, caused by closures and unemployment resulting from the collapse of construction and the bank crisis. Private investment has dried up, so the only way out is for the state to finance public works such as hospitals and schools – as well as funding our public services. This gets people back to work and can promote sustainable development.

Instead, this Treaty would force governments across Europe to cut services and increase taxes – like the household tax. This would make things even worse: more out of work, less spending, more closures, long term poverty and deepening debt. That’s what’s happening in Greece.

What happens if we say NO?

The scaremongers who say that Ireland will be pushed out of the euro if we vote no are lying. Ireland will remain in the EU and the eurozone, but will not be in the Austerity Club. Ireland will not be isolated. An Irish ‘No’ will challenge the EU’s austerity policies. It would be a vote to link up with ordinary people across Europe – putting the needs of people and the environment before the super-rich and the banks.

Blackmail

The government’s only argument to support the Treaty is the Blackmail Clause. This says that Ireland won’t get money for a second ‘bailout’ from the ESM fund if we don’t approve the Austerity Treaty. Fine Gael and Labour agreed to put this Blackmail Clause into the ESM Treaty and the Austerity Treaty. But they also have the power to get it out, because Ireland has a veto over the amendment to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union needed to set up the ESM Treaty. The government has said that the votes on the ESM Treaty will happen after the referendum. If they want a free and honest debate on the Austerity Treaty, the government could declare that if the Austerity Treaty is rejected they will veto the ESM Treaty unless the Blackmail Clause is removed.

What happens if we say yes? Cuts and tax increases

The rules of the Austerity Treaty would bring more cuts and tax rises: up to €5.7 billion more from 2015 to 2017 – on top of current proposals of €8.6 billion in cuts and tax up to 2015. The Treaty would also effectively deny governments the right to engage in significant public spending, such as major public works, to get people back to work. Given the collapse of private investment, strangling public investment would bring more unemployment, poverty and stagnation – especially as it would be done in Ireland and across Europe at the same time.

Article 3 of the Treaty imposes a harsh target of a structural deficit of 0.5%. In 2013, the European Commission estimates that 18 out of the 25 countries affected will be in breach of this target. Meeting the target across Europe will mean cuts and austerity of over €160 billion. This will be devastating. In Ireland, the Department of Finance estimates we will have a structural deficit of 3.7% in 2015. Closing this gap would mean extra cuts and taxes of up to €5.7 billion – yet more health cuts, education cuts and unjust taxes like the household tax.

Article 4 strengthens the existing Stability and Growth Pact requirement for states to maintain a debt-to-GDP ratio of 60%. Under this rule a state in breach of the 60% limit will have to reduce the excess portion of their debt ratio by 1/20th a year. In Ireland’s case this will strictlyapply from 2018, when we are expected to have a debt-to-GDP ratio of about 120%. But from 2015 – when Ireland leaves the current austerity/bailout program – and 2018, Ireland will nevertheless have to make“progress towards compliance” with the debt-to-GDP rule. If GDP is growing in 2018, Article 4 will not necessarily require an actual reduction in the debt. However if the economy remains in recession or growth is marginal, which is the likely outcome of the cuts required by Article 3 of the treaty, then Article 4 would require additional austerity in order to reduce the debt. All this would be on top of the €9 billion a year interest payments on the national debt from 2015.

Democracy – RIP

The Austerity Treaty would turn elections into a total sham. No matter what government was elected, or however big a protest movement, austerity policies would be permanently in place. This Treaty would put the decisions on budgetary policy into the hands of the European Commission and the European Court of Justice. Merkel and Sarkozy want this Treaty because it would make the EU an enforcer for the speculation debts of their banks – no matter what policies other governments were elected upon.

Where would we get money?

The government will have a deficit of about €15.8 billion this year – €2 billion of which is going to the Anglo and IL&P bailout. Ireland also has an increasing debt because the state has taken on the gambling debts of the banks – including Anglo – at the insistence of the EU. So the first step to reducing the deficit is to stop paying bank-related debt – it’s not our debt – and write off billions in debt and interest payments. The next step is to tax wealth. There are net financial assets of €107 billion in Ireland, mostly in the hands of the richest 5%. Wealth taxes, increased capital taxes and eliminating loopholes could reduce the deficit significantly.

Life before debt

These first steps, along with major public works, are vital to stop the impoverishment of our people. Money is available: the ECB recently loaned €1000 billion at 1% interest to European banks. This could have gone to governments as low interest loans for public works – which would get hundreds of thousands back to work and slash the deficit. The Austerity Treaty would enforce the opposite: cuts and poverty – to protect bankers.

Call for a ‘NO’ vote

Stopping the Austerity Treaty is vital for stopping more cuts and taxes on ordinary people, and retaining the democratic right of governments to implement the policies on which they were elected. We call for a ‘No’ vote on the Austerity Treaty in the referendum on May 31st.